Top 10 tips for taking better photos of your cat from the man behind @SmoothieCat

Follow these top 10 tips from Arvid van Boekel, the man behind @SmoothieCat and you’ll be taking Insta worthy shots in no time!

1. Make sure your cat is comfortable.This is, for me, is the most important one. It’s best to just take pictures when cats behave naturally. Don’t dress them up if they don’t want that; don’t force them to do anything.

2. Change your perspective.We usually see our cats from the same point of view—from above—but try to go on their level sometimes. Go on your knees for example; stretch. Work those angles.

3. Check the background.Nobody wants to see a mess on the table. It only distracts from the beautiful animal that’s your subject. It’s best to have the background as calm as possible.

4. Choose the right lighting. Of course photography is all about light, so play with that. Take pictures next to the window—try sunset and dawn as well. These times usually have the most beautiful lighting.

5. Get as close as possible.It’s all about your cat and nothing else, so either go really close or just zoom (only if you have a proper zoom lens of course, otherwise you’ll lose a lot of quality).

6. Always have your camera ready. You don’t want to miss a precious moment, so even though you don’t have a DSLR close by, make sure you have at least a phone to film them. The best moments always come unexpectedly.

7. Work with a high shutter speed.Like little kids, cats don’t sit still so make sure you freeze the moment. This way you won’t have any blurry or unfocused pictures.

8. Focus on the dominant eye (the eye that’s most important for the picture). Pet photography is all about expression, so the face of your cat should be the centre of it all.

9. Use the burst mode. In the digital age we can take plenty of pictures and also remove them with a single click, so make use of that. Of course you will have a lot of pictures that are not worth keeping but that’s not a problem. With every burst you’ll also have a few nice ones and you have something to choose from instead of just one picture at a time.

10. Move slowly. If you scare your cat with a sudden sound or movement, the moment will be completely lost.

Pro Tip: For pet photography a prime lens is unmissable. You can get really close and are able to create those blurry backgrounds.